Are you the type who looks at the world as a big smorgasbord and you can’t wait to taste a bit of everything? Like a kid in a candy store ever watchful of what will grab your attention next. You love the excitement of creating and starting new projects, meeting new people or sitting down to choose which of your current stack of books to read. It’s only Monday but you are delighting in planning all the options available for the coming weekend. If so – read more to learn more about the motivation behind our charismatic Type Seven. Remember that we all have a bit of every type in us so it is valuable to explore how each type fits into our own way of being.

Type Seven can be called the Enthusiast, The Epicure, The Adventurer, The Visionary or The Generalist. Sevens are frequently endowed with quick, agile minds and can be exceptionally fast learners. This is true both of their ability to absorb information and for new manual skills – they tend to have excellent mind-body coordination and manual dexterity. All of this can combine into the quintessential Renaissance person. Because they are able to pick up many different skills with relative ease, it becomes more difficult for them to decide what to do with themselves. You won’t find Sevens getting too bogged down with negative thoughts however – they are constantly looking at the bright side of any situation and will learn from everything. Instead of paying attention to inner negative feelings and anxiety that arises when they are out of touch with their inner guidance, they keep their minds busy all the time searching for the stimulation brought about by new experiences. Boredom is not an option. Commitment can be a challenge when you never know what exciting possibilities could surface around the next corner.

“On a very deep level, Sevens do not feel that they can find what they really want in life. They tend to try everything and ultimately may even resort to anything as a substitute for what they are really looking for” (Wisdom of the Enneagram, Riso/Hudson). Many will say they still haven’t figured out what they want to do when they grow up! Thus we say our Sevens live by options, plans and possibilities and truly have fun allowing life to show up and making spontaneous choices in the moment. They often live a very full life and have had more experiences at any given age than some of us will have in a lifetime. Some of the valuable things I have learned from my Seven friends are:

Colour outside the lines

Notice the little miracles unfolding around us every moment, like the bee’s gathering nectar for sweet honey.

Never play trivial pursuit with them – they know way too many odd facts and bits of wisdom on all subjects.

If it’s not fun – why bother?

Every cloud has a silver lining if you just look.

Sevens at their best in a relationship are lighthearted, generous, outgoing, caring and fun. They introduce their friends and loved ones to new activities and adventures. Sevens at their worst in a relationship are narcissistic, opinionated, defensive and distracted. They are often ambivalent about being tied down to a relationship.

Practical suggestions for Type Seven:

Focus on what you have, rather than on what you dream of getting.

Negotiate quality time with your partner and friends, when you can chill.

Notice the balance of “talk” to “listen” and make sure you give others air time.

When the urge to “get going” arises, take a deep breath and make a commitment to finish the project and develop constancy.

Recognize your impulsiveness, and get in the habit of observing your impulses rather than giving in to them.

You do not have to do everything this very moment. That tempting new acquisition will most likely still be available tomorrow (this is certainly true of food, alcohol, and other common gratifications)

Your sense of humour, wit and quick mind are a source of pleasure for you and others. However, watch what you say. Avoid the tendency to say more than you mean for effect or to get a reaction from others.

In a similar vein, remember it is not your job to keep yourself or other people “up” all the time. Cultivate depth and do not be afraid of your sorrow.

How about you? Do you relate to a Type 7? I love getting feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a plug-in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment. But you don’t have to be a blogger to leave feedback, I’d love to hear from everyone!

As a student who is learning The Enneagram, I’ve been reading this post thesdays and it is very helpful to me. I’m korean and my professor said that most Korean people are the type 9, the peace maker. I want to hear your opnion about this. Can’t wait to read your post about type 9 😀

Wonderful question to pose – the Enneagram has been used around the world and from all information that I have received, all types are well represented in every country and by each sex. What we do experience is an overlay of the country’s enneagram style that influences how each type shows up. That can happen in companies as well. I led a workshop for a technical group once and in the morning after a quick description of the 9 types, 18 of the 25 participants believed themselves to be Type 1. Well – I knew this was not the case and as the day went along the real ennegram type of each was uncovered. It turned out that 4 were actually type one including the director. The group had worked together so long and knew that the characteristics of Type One were reinforced and acknowledged, so many of the employees shifted their behaviour style to fit into the expectations of the environment. Of course it is much healthier to have all types represented in group settings and the workshop assisted in demonstrating that. I will look forward to your comments after reading the Type Nine blog as well to see how it fits for you. Thanks again.

I’m tired of hearing about how wonderful type sevens are. I just got out of a three year relationship with one and it was hell. I soon realized not too far into it that all plans and ideas would revolve around this person, I would never be able to give enough money, time attention, etc. to her projects and ideas, that I was in love with a superficial shell that would not sit still and enjoy simple things, have an in depth conversation or be able to talk about or recognize problems. The solution to problems for sevens is to ignore them and they will go away and in the meantime plan even more exciting adventures. The very core of what they represent is pathetic! They hurt people. Do they have a conscious?

I so appreciate you sharing your experience even though it was not a totally positive one. There must have been some positive aspects to keep you together for 3 years, even if that meant some painful life lessons for you. The overview of each type here highlihgts the strengths of each type and sheds light on some of the more challenging characteristics. I have not gone into the extremes that can be experienced with any type of the enneagram and the reality is; there IS opportunity for great challenges with any type. In Don Riso and Russ Hudson’s book, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, they highlight 9 levels of health for each enneagram type with 3 healthy, 3 average and 3 unhealthy. The unhealthy levels of every type will be difficult to inter-relate with. You have invested 3 years of your life experience in this relationship. It could serve you to reflect on what drew you to this person so that you will appreciate the good points and also to reflect on the challenges and what you learned about yourself and your boundaries within them. In moving forward you will be much more clear on what values and characteristics are important for you in a relationship and create a positive intention to bring someone into your life that matches your new criteria. Wishing you much success.

Annika’s post could have been written by my husband several years ago. We describe our 18 years as me flitting around the universe like a cosmic butterfly and him running around with a net trying to slow me down so he could catch me and hopefully connect with me and feel like he mattered. We worked lots on the Enneagram, him a 5 and with other tools and have grown deeper and are understanding one another and we’re growing and laughing and learning. There is hope for us 7 in our unhealthy states and when we are healthy it can be truly heavenly for both partners. It took a lot of courage for me to accept that I had narcistic traits etc and with or without a partner this work has been life altering and refreshing, although not easy.
Carole

Hello Carole and thank you for such an honest reflection. It is amazing how many 7-5 couples I know and yet through the huge differences come incredible growth and appreciation for the deep gifts of each other! Perserverence and love always bring about a winning outcome. Continue to enjoy your butterfly wings!
Karen

Good perspective, Karen. I seem to attract 7s AND while I like them a lot – even love them – and they’re fun to be around, they are hell to work with. Today I am married to one, have a major consulting contract with a company run by two 7s, and when I look at my life, my most challenging work relationships are with 7s. Today most of the 7s in my life are ‘average’ to ‘healthy’ but they are, after all, 7s.

I have tested differently at different times … most recently with a tri-type of 3-7-9. Interesting … I do recognize that 7 strategy and certainly the 9. Never thought of myself as a 3w2, though. ;-0

I find the Enneagram fascinating, mostly accurate, but also confusing when my truest answers are dependent upon the situation … work vs leisure for instance. Any comments?

Hi Marissa,
It would appear that you have life lessons to learn from 7 energy. With both of you having lots of “let’s get things done focus”, you will be more structured and likely get frustrated with efficiency issues. Allow your 7’s to remind you to enjoy the journey as much as the goal and know that as you learn what you need and release resistance you will begin attracting other types into your work/social life. One of the keys to knowing ourselves best is to know the core values that do not change whether we are at work or leisure. Think about something you would like to invite into your life for the next month and focus on that – it’s an effective way to use intention. (ie. flow, love, clarity, peace) Good luck!
Karen

Hi Drew – thanks for your coment. In my time working with the enneagram I have realized that any type CAN be with any other type pending the level of health or maturity of the 2 people involved as well as what we are attracting for our own growth. I have good friends in the 7-1, 7-2, 7-5 and 7-9 connections. There is a lovely book by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele called Are you My Type, am I Yours. It is a fun read and that book suggests that the most common attraction for male 7’s is type 9. Good luck exploring what the best fit is for you! Keep in touch.

I have heard that the most common type of relationship a 7 has is with a 1. The 1 provides structure, discipline, and tells a 7 what is necessary to do, is practical and hardworking. This complements the 7, who needs someone to remind her of the boundaries in life. For the 1, the 7 brings looseness, a partying spirit, and fun and spontaneity and a willingness to look at the bright side. This, a 1 can really appreciate!

Hi Julie,
You have highlighted the balance that the 7-1 relationships can bring to each other for sure and I do know other 7-1 couples who have found the dance to be enjoyable. I have also known some who were not ready to be in this dance and did not stay together as is the case for all type combinations. I have found 7’s to engage with 5’s as well. It is interesting that these two combinations also connect the path lines that type 7 is connected with. It is amazing to observe the journies that our hearts lead us towards. I wish for you to continue to find joy and balance and love in your relationship. Thanks for your post.
Karen

annoyed that people think that 7’s can not commit because we like a lot of me or women. i want to explain that for a sec. i think i am a self preservation 7 and the battle is really for time alone. I do not make a habit of being fickle and cheating. Just because I have a lot interests does not mean I will cheat on you. Some of my friends for a while thought i was a 4. Any thoughts on confusing 4’s and 7’s. I feel 98 percent certain i am a 7 with an 8 wing. thaks

Interesting. I believe that I am a 7w6 wing and I am an engineer myself! Interestingly, I love to act like a 5 though and get really consumed in my projects & observations. It is really cool to see other representations of 7’s on here. Also, my wife is a 1 and we have had a very hard relationship historically but have recently been growing a lot and finding those opposing qualities about each other helpful.